Ferragni now tours Puglia's cultural sites. And receives bipartisan invitations

Chiara Ferragni is not stopping any longer, despite hundreds, if not thousands, of detractors: from the Uffizi, the fashioninfluencer is now moving on to Puglia, where she is for a Christian Dior fashion show in Lecce. The French fashion house, in fact, will set up a stage for one of its events in Piazza Duomo this evening (and to do so, the famous fashion house has actually closed down half of the historic center).

Of the fact that Dior has “rented” an entire square for one evening, few are talking. And for the little that is being talked about, it would seem to be socially acceptable (although criticism has obviously rained down on Dior as well, for the inconvenience created and because there is the usual question underlying it anyway: is it right for a private company to invade a city in such a cumbersome way?). Those in favor say that in any case Dior has created jobs, offering some to the city’s inhabitants as well, and that its défilé can be an opportunity for international visibility for the city of Salento. Which then, in the end, are roughly the same arguments advanced by those who welcomed Chiara Ferragni’s presence at the Uffizi. The latter, however, would seem to be in the minority, at least in cultural circles, or at any rate among enthusiasts.

So we continue to focus on Ferragni, who in Puglia visited the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto, welcomed here too with all honors by director Eva Degl’Innocenti (the director and the influencer posted in a photo together with Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior), but not only. In fact, on her Instagram account, between shots of her French bouledogue and photos showing her half-naked while taking a bath, images of the region’s artistic wonders are popping up: in fact, we see the entrepreneur posing under the frescoes of the Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Galatina, or standing on the historiated floor of Otranto Cathedral. Posts that do not reach the likes of the photos in which Ferragni uncovers a few inches of breasts or portrays herself with her little dog, but still remain in the hundreds of thousands: the real effect of these photos on bringing her fans closer to culture is all to be studied, but there are already politicians who do not miss the opportunity to address invitations to her.

Given the uproar caused by her sortie to the Uffizi, probably many now think that Ferragni is the panacea for the low appeal of culture to the many, and perhaps they are thinking of leveraging the millions of followers who populate her account. And so here come bipartisan invitations to Chiara Ferragni. The undersecretary for Economic Development, Alessia Morani of the Pd, from Sassocorvaro in the Marche region of Italy, is calling the blonde from Cremona to Urbino, and specifically to the Ducal Palace: “I would really like,” Morani said, “to introduce Chiara Ferragni to the Ducal Palace in Urbino. I wonder if she feels like coming to our wonderful territory.” According to Morani, Chiara Ferragni “is a social icon who can make young people know and appreciate our treasures. The goal must be to broaden the knowledge of art as much as possible, and in this she can be an exceptional testimonial. I hope to be able to accompany her on a visit to the Ducal Palace soon.”

From the hills of Marche to those of Piedmont: the color of the party changes but the mode is always the same, and so the leghist mayor of Borgosesia (Vercelli), Paolo Tiramani, calls to arms theinfluencer to promote the territory of Valsesia: “I gladly invite Chiara Ferragni and her family to spend the vacations in the beautiful Valsesia. We would be delighted if she came to visit us to discover the beauty of Italy’s greenest valley and, thanks to the shots posted on her social profiles by millions of followers, make her known to a great many other tourists nationwide and beyond,” says the mayor, who prefers “influencer visits” to the “vacation bonus activated by the government, which is difficult to use and structured as a tax credit.”

In short: does the strategy of cultural revitalization of post-virus Italy really go through events of international fashion houses and influencers with tons of followers on Instagram? What numbers and feedback can such strategies bring? What is the return in economic and cultural terms of these VIP descents on our cities and museums? There will indeed be matter for discussion.

In the photo: Chiara Ferragni in the basilica of Galatina.

Ferragni now tours Puglia's cultural sites. And receives bipartisan invitations

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